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New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Tom Johnson is tended to by trainers after getting hurt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

METAIRIE, Louisiana --- New Orleans Saints defensive end Tom Johnson could miss 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in Sunday's 16-14 win over Tampa Bay, according to a report late Monday by the Advocate of Baton Rouge.

Johnson, a Moss Point native who also played at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Southern Miss, was injured in the first quarter on Sunday. He fell to the ground while rushing Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman and was helped off the field by trainers and did not return to the game.

Johnson did not practice on Monday, and Saints head coach Sean Payton declined to give an injury update. The third-year NFL veteran was the top back-up to starting defensive end Cameron Jordan, and posted one tackle and one quarterback hit in the Week 1 victory over Atlanta.

Johnson's injury leaves New Orleans extremely thin on the defensive line, with reserve ends Glenn Foster and Tyrunn Walker and starting nose tackle Brodrick Bunkley having all missed the Tampa Bay game. Walker (knee) and Bunkley (calf) both went down against Atlanta, while Foster (ankle) was hurt in the preseason finale against Miami.

Following Johnson's injury, ends Jordan and Akiem Hicks and nose tackle John Jenkins are the only healthy defensive linemen on the Saints' roster. Those three played nearly every snap of the final three quarters against Tampa Bay, with outside linebackers Junior Galette and Martez Wilson also filling in on the defensive line when New Orleans went to a four-man front.